This week, Mike is joined by the inaugural Australia Chair at CSIS, Dr. Charles Edel. The two start with an important discussion on the intersection of history and strategy, the strategic mind of John Quincy Adams, and the need for an Australia Chair in Washington as Australian influence on U.S. decisionmaking becomes more significant. Mike and Charles also assess the Biden administration’s new Indo-Pacific strategy, Australia’s role in increasing multilateral cooperation in the region, includin...
Feb 22, 2022•38 min
This week, Mike is joined by Carolyn Bartholomew and Robin Cleveland, Chair and Vice Chair of the 2021 Annual Report Cycle for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Mike, Carolyn, and Robin discuss the history and mandate of the commission, the process behind drafting the 2021 report, and topline findings and recommendations. Topics include concerns about Chinese nuclear capabilities, investment risks, funding for INDOPACOM, U.S. presence in the region, and Chinese influence in...
Feb 07, 2022•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), to discuss his new book, The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today. Mike and Hal analyze the merits of applied history and how the Cold War is an appropriate lens through which to gain insights about current U.S.-China long-term competition. How can lessons from the Cold War inform...
Jan 24, 2022•41 min
This week, Dr. Green is joined by Dr. Yoichi Funabashi, chairman of the Tokyo-based think tank Asia Pacific Initiative, to discuss geopolitical and economic trends in the Indo-Pacific and Japanese grand strategy. Dr. Funabashi talks about the evolution of Japan’s foreign policy strategy, from the Abe administration to the new Kishida administration, as well as the role of the U.S.-Japan alliance in Japan’s strategic thinking. The two also touch on Japan’s relationship with South Korea, economic ...
Dec 13, 2021•31 min
This week, Mike unpacks recent developments in the U.S.-Australia alliance, including the AUKUS agreement, with Rory Medcalf, professor and head of the National Security College at Australia National University. The two discuss the second edition to Rory’s book, Indo-Pacific Empire: China, America and the contest for the world's pivotal region, and how regional dynamics and geopolitics have changed over the past two years. What were the conditions that lead to the AUKUS agreement, and what is it...
Nov 29, 2021•32 min
For the 50th episode of the Asia Chessboard, Mike is joined by David Berteau, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness, to discuss the intersection of strategy and logistics in the Indo-Pacific. How do we get U.S. forces into the region, and once they are there, how do we sustain them? How should the U.S. incorporate allies and partners into logistics planning? How do logistics impact U.S. extended deterrence? These questions of how to implement U.S. Asia strate...
Nov 15, 2021•39 min
Ahead of the 50th episode of the Asia Chessboard, we thought we would take a look back at some of our favorite conversations with key players from the past two and a half years. The first conversation is with Ambassador Richard Armitage, in which he and Mike grade the U.S., Japanese, and Chinese grand strategies in Asia. The second conversation features a discussion with Ambassador Kurt Tong on how the United States can rebuild its trade strategy in Asia. The last conversation is from our episod...
Nov 01, 2021•32 min
This week, Mike discusses the nuclear pieces on the Asia Chessboard with Caitlin Talmadge, professor at Georgetown University, as they explore the multipolar nuclear deterrence environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Mike and Caitlin analyze U.S. and Chinese nuclear capabilities, including China’s recent military build-up, the potential for nuclear arms races in the region, and the relationship between nuclear and conventional forces. They also touch on the debate surrounding a “no first use” nu...
Oct 18, 2021•43 min
This week, Mike is celebrating 70 years of U.S.-Australia relations with Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The two discuss the history and evolution of the ANZUS treaty and how alliance dynamics play out in both Washington and Canberra. They also contemplate the future of the alliance, including deepened U.S.-Australia security cooperation, the role of New Zealand in the alliance, Australian military capabilities, and trilateral cooperation with Jap...
Sep 27, 2021•41 min
This week, Mike is back in the studio with Heino Klinck, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, to unpack the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy and how it relates to U.S. allies and partners. Heino and Mike begin by exploring Chinese strategy towards the U.S. alliance network in Asia. They then discuss how U.S. allies and partners like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia should think about their roles, missions, and capabilities in response to Chinese aggressive beha...
Sep 13, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike sits down with Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa, former Foreign Minister of Indonesia, to explore current U.S.-Indonesia relations and U.S. foreign policy towards Southeast Asia. The two discuss Marty's time in government, and how the bilateral relationship should deal with issues like Myanmar, Covid-19, Chinese assertiveness, and climate change. Mike and Marty also talk about the importance of collaboration on democracy support in the region, and touch on the current situ...
Aug 23, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Ambassador James Moriarty, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, to discuss his perspectives on political and security dynamics in the Taiwan Strait. Ambassador Moriarty considers how U.S. policy towards Taiwan has changed over his professional career, and examines Beijing’s intentions towards Taiwan. Finally, Mike and Ambassador Moriarty debate what Washington, Taipei, Tokyo and others need to do to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing the ne...
Aug 09, 2021•38 min
This week, Mike sits down with Bonny Lin, senior fellow for Asian security and the new director of the China Power Project at CSIS, to talk about one of the hottest topics on the Chessboard: the Taiwan Strait. Bonny and Mike assess if China and Taiwan are truly on the brink of war and dive into China's overall strategy towards Taiwan, including gray zone coercion and disinformation campaigns. They also discuss what U.S. commitment to Taiwan's security means for the region, and how U.S. allies in...
Jul 06, 2021•36 min
This week, Mike sits down with Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at American University, to unpack Amitav’s new book, ASEAN and Regional Order: Revisiting Security Community in Southeast Asia . Amitav and Mike assess the current state of ASEAN, its durability, and the meaning of ASEAN centrality. They also discuss the role of the QUAD, the impact of U.S.-China competition on Southeast Asia, and how the U.S. can improve its engagem...
Jun 21, 2021•41 min
This week, Mike is joined by Darshana Baruah, associate fellow with the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean to the United States and our allies and partners in the region. Darshana provides historical context for the new focus on the Indo-Pacific, and dives into the politics of the Indian Ocean region. Mike and Darshana also tackle the rise of Chinese influence and how the Indian Ocean fits in with U.S.-C...
Jun 07, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Mike O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, to discuss his new book, “The Art of War in an Age of Peace,” and how his new vision for U.S. grand strategy relates to the Asia-Pacific. The two begin by defining what “resolute restraint” means for U.S. Asia policy, especially regarding the rise of China, as they explore issue areas like the South China Sea. O’Hanlon makes a distinction between restraint and retren...
May 24, 2021•34 min
This week, Mike is joined by Eva Pejsova, Senior Japan Fellow at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and Luis Simon, Director of the CSDS at the Brussels School of Governance and Director of the Brussels Office of the Elcano Royal Institute, to discuss how the Indo-Pacific factors into European foreign policy and strategic thinking. Eva and Luis analyze the recently released "EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific," as well as the ...
May 10, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Elizabeth Economy, senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and senior fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, to explore the evolution of Xi Jinping’s leadership and China’s current foreign policy strategy. Liz argues that there is continuity between Xi’s strategy and that of his predecessors, but Xi’s vision of reforming the global governance system and his increased risk tolerance are new phenomena. As Liz and Mike unravel Ch...
Apr 12, 2021•36 min
This week, Mike is joined by Ashley Tellis, Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to re-evaluate U.S. China strategy and determine what makes a successful theory of victory. The two start by going back in time to when Ashley was working on the rise of China in the 90s, when he argued that China’s rise was not a fluke and would impact Asia dramatically in the future. Given that competition is inevitable, the United States must mainta...
Mar 15, 2021•37 min
This week Mike is joined by Mireya Solis, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies, Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies, and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, to discuss the regional trade architecture of the Asia-Pacific. The two start off by analyzing the geopolitical significance of RCEP and CPTPP, and what the lack of U.S. participation in both trade agreements means for U.S. trade strategy under the Biden Administration. Mireya also dives deeper into Ja...
Mar 01, 2021•41 min
This week, Mike is joined by Asia and human rights expert Ellen Bork, contributing editor at American Purpose , to discuss the geopolitics of Tibet and what it means for the Asia Chessboard. The two begin by discussing Tibet’s strategic significance in the region, including the influence of Tibetan Buddhism and China’s strategic approach to its “core interests.” Bork also dives deeper into Tibet’s relationships with its neighbors, like India, and the transnational impact of the next reincarnatio...
Feb 08, 2021•31 min
This week Mike is joined by Bruce Stokes, fellow at the German Marshall Fund, to discuss U.S. public attitudes about the world, and how the world sees the U.S. leadership role abroad, especially after January 6th. Stokes differentiates between public opinion about the United States, faith in the U.S. public, and faith in U.S ideas about democracy. How does waning U.S. soft power impact our strategy in Asia? How can the incoming administration implement a “Foreign Policy for the Middle Class” whi...
Jan 25, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by David Shambaugh, the Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies at George Washington University, to discuss his new book, “Where Great Powers Meet: America and China in Southeast Asia.” The two start with a discussion about how U.S.-China relations have gotten to their lowest point since normalization, and how Southeast Asia has become an open field for competition. Perception matters, but Shambaugh argues that it has become out of touch with reality. Is China’s inevita...
Jan 11, 2021•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by Ganbat Chuluunkhuu, Managing Director at RVJ Capital, as they journey to the middle of the chessboard to discuss Mongolia’s role in the Asia-Pacific region. Ganbat dives into Mongolia’s history of strategic culture, starting with the legacy of Genghis Khan, and outlines the intricacies of Mongolia’s relationships with China, Russia, and “third neighbors” like the United States. As the only democracy in Central Eurasia, Mongolia has becoming increasingly important for...
Dec 21, 2020•32 min
This week, Mike is joined by Tom Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe and a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, to discuss how domestic politics impacts U.S. grand strategy. The two go into detail about how both Democrats and Republicans currently view U.S. strategy in Asia, and where both parties converge and diverge when it comes to the “China Challenge.” Now that there will be a transfer of power in the White...
Dec 07, 2020•40 min
This week, Mike is joined by his CSIS colleagues Jude Blanchette, Bonnie Glaser, and Scott Kennedy, to discuss their recently-launched project, “Mapping the Future of U.S. China Policy.” For this project, CSIS surveyed the American public and thought leaders in the United States, Asia, and Europe to map perspectives on China policy. The discussion centers around the project’s five main takeaways on issues surrounding national security, economics and trade, and human rights. The results point to ...
Oct 21, 2020•37 min
This week, Mike is joined by Chris Capozzola, Professor of History at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to discuss his new book on the history of U.S.-Philippines relations, Bound by War . The two discuss the importance of history for informing grand strategy, and what lessons we can learn from the 1900s, which Dr. Capozzola argues is the "original" Asian century. Dr. Capozzola starts with the strategic significance of the United States and the Philippines to one another, highlighting t...
Oct 05, 2020•31 min
This week, Mike is joined by the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to discuss the role of Congress in decision-making on U.S. national security policy in the Asia-Pacific. In their discussion, they look at strategic competition with China and the importance of working jointly with allies and partners, especially through exercising together. They also highlight the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a bipartisan initiative introduced by Senator Reed in th...
Sep 21, 2020•30 min
This week, Mike is joined by two CSIS colleagues who are leading thinkers on Southeast Asia in Washington: Murray Hiebert, Senior Associate of the Southeast Asia Program, and Greg Poling, Senior Fellow of the Southeast Asia Program and Director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. They focus their discussion on Murray's new book, Under Beijing's Shadow: Southeast Asia's China Challenge, which details the response of different Southeast Asian countries to China's rise and argues that cou...
Aug 31, 2020•34 min
Russian and Chinese Interference is becoming an increasingly important part of the strategic chessboard in the Asia-Pacific. This week, Mike is joined by Amy Searight, Senior Associate for Asia at CSIS, and Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe at CSIS, to discuss their new report on countering Russian and Chinese influence activities. Through looking at different case studies, Amy and Heather outline the similarities and differences between Russian and Chinese influence campaigns, an...
Jul 27, 2020•37 min
